A Letter from Joha Dear Michele You description of Ben is so true: He was a nice boy, someone very easy to love from the first minute. The way I met him was very funny. I'm from Colombia, but I was living in Recife (Brazil). I was dating a guy from Oregon, his name is West, who was also living in Recife. One day West received a call from Ben. West and Ben didn't know each other, but Ben had met someone in Salvador (Brazil) and told this person that he was going to Recife. Then, this person told Ben that in Recife was living another guy from Oregon that he should contact. So West and I met Ben right before Carnival and spend some time together. Ben found a place to stay, right in downtown in the middle of the party. He was sharing this place with people from all over the world (Denmark, Canada, France, USA, and others) they were nice travelers too. After Carnival all the travelers took different ways but Ben decided to spend some more time with West and I, so we rented a car and drove along the beaches. It was some of the best days West and I had in Brazil. Ben was so much fun and a very interesting person to talk with, he kept telling us all kinds of sea stories and all about crab fishing too. Something funny was that he bought a huge watermelon and kept it for 3 days until he finished it. It was so big that Ben used it as a chair at the beach. Our time with Ben was short, but we had a great time. I do miss him. Love, Joha | |||